Ancient formation

"How long have you been there?" Ruan Yanxi asked as he approached White.

White sat up and said, "Since the beginning, I was taking a nap and out of the blue I smelled roasted crabs."

Wen Yi looked between Ruan Yanxi and White. "This fellow daoist is?" 

"You can call me Yong Bai," White said. Yong was the surname of Yulan's mother. "Thank you for taking care of my friend."

Wen Yi smiled. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Wen Yi. Actually, it was fellow daoist Ruan who has taken care of me."

"By the way, I found an interesting place nearby," White said.

Ruan Yanxi was immediately vigilant. Although White's expression didn't change, Ruan Yanxi knew that he was planning something. "What is it?"

White replied, "An ancient formation, I assume. I tried to open it by myself but alas I'm too weak. I'm wondering if the two of you can offer me some help?"

This was a blatant lie. White never bothered to hide his strength and if there was trouble that he couldn't handle it would be useless to ask for their help. Ruan Yanxi looked at White, trying to see what he was planning. In the end, he could only agree. "Okay."

"What about fellow daoist Wen?" White asked.

Wen Yi blinked, surprised. An ancient formation, such a thing undoubtedly would lead to a protected place. There was a high chance that there would be treasures. Of course, a high reward would be accompanied with a high risk. Wen Yi had thought that they would part ways here but he was offered to join instead. "If fellow daoists do not mind my incompetence then this one is willing to help."

"Of course." White smiled. Without any delay, the three of them went to the ancient formation. White brought them to an open clearing without any remarkable sight. He stood in the middle and cut the air. The space in front of him trembled. An ancient ruin began to appear. It was translucent and fleeting but there was no denying of its existence. However, the distortion soon receded and the open clearing returned. 

Wen Yi was transfixed. Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, he had read a lot of documents regarding the age of ancients. Back then, terrifying yet majestic beasts ruled the realm. Humankind had yet risen and was suppressed under their might. Many creatures lived and thrived. Some even build civilizations. After the fall of the ancients only their ruins remained. 

In the first great war against the ancients, many outstanding cultivators met their doom. Another round of cultivators died when the second great war raged. The two great wars also took away many spiritual treasures, knowledge, and inheritances. 

A ruin from the age of ancient would no doubt contain many rare treasures. Finding something like this was even rarer than once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Wen Yi said, "To be able to find an ancient ruin, Fellow Daoist is truly talented."

"It was on accident," White said. "After many years has passed the formation was not as robust as it used to be."

Wen Yi said, "It was still a great feat to be able to notice it. But after seeing this ancient formation, I don't believe I can offer substantial aid with my limited ability."

"No worries. I merely need the two of you to stand in specific spots and put pressure in that area and I will be the one unraveling the formation. This formation is a bit tricky because there were actually several formations interlinked together. If I try to unravel the core formation by myself then the supporting formations will undo my effort. I need you two to temporarily disable the supporting formations while I deal with the core formation."

"But I am a sword cultivator, even dealing with the supporting formations I…" Wen Yi said. His method to deal with a formation was by breaking it with pure force. Such a brutish way will not work against this intricate and complex work.

"Just leave it to me," White said. He placed Wen Yi in the west and Ruan Yanxi in the east. White took out spiritual stones and placed them around Wen Yi and Ruan Yanxi. Wen Yi's eyes rounded when he saw the gleaming and pure spiritual stones. These spiritual stones were the purest ones he had ever laid eyes on. 

Spiritual stones were mined from spiritual mines. The stones were graded based on their purity. From the lowest to highest purity there were dirty, opaque, clear, pure, and condensed. The ones taken out by White should at least be pure spiritual stones. Sects would keep these spiritual stones as treasures. 

Wen Yi only had dirty spiritual stones and he protected them well. Spiritual stones had many uses from assisting in cultivation, growing rare spiritual plants, materials for forging spiritual tools or weapons, currency, and many more. But silver, gold, and spirit jade were mainly used for trade in the cultivation world. Only when the item was a rare treasure, a cultivator might consider using spiritual stones. 

Most cultivators would keep them as a last-ditch effort in times of danger. Spiritual stones could be used to boost or refill spiritual power. Wen Yi had never thought that someone would use spiritual stones for formation. Although they were good, there were better and cheaper options that could be used instead. Wen Yi stared at White, trying to figure out the background of this rich young man. He glanced at Ruan Yanxi who did not look bothered over his friend's extravagant act.

"That should be good enough," White said when he was done setting up the formations. "The two of you only need to sustain this formation while I deal with the core formation. Whatever happens, don't stop channeling your spiritual energy into it. The spiritual stones would help you sustain the formation without exhausting your energy."

"I see…" Wen Yi said. That was a decent reason. Breaking an ancient formation would certainly require massive energy but he couldn't help but feel pain seeing all these pure spiritual stones being used up.

"Immediately start under my command." White moved toward the center of the clearing and began to set up his own formation. He began to chant in an unknown language. The spiritual energy in the air trembled. Bright lines lit up on the ground as the ancient formation was revealed. Wen Yi closed his eyes when his head began to throb. With his level of cultivation, even looking at this ancient formation would cause him to lose his consciousness at best and break his mind at worst.

"Now!" White commanded.

Both Ruan Yanxi and Wen Yi activated the formations and another pattern of light emerged. White's formations started to suppress the ancient formation causing it to lose its momentum.

White threw several spiritual stones in specific spots while he chanted. Slowly but surely the ancient formation unraveled. The ancient ruin increasingly became solid. Until finally, the ancient formation broke apart with a final gust of energy.

Ruan Yanxi and Wen Yi were knocked back by the backlash but the majority of it was tanked by their formations. Wen Yi was dizzy as he lay on the ground. Ruan Yanxi gathered himself back faster and checked on White. 

"Are you alright?" Ruan Yanxi grasped White's shoulders who was unsteady. White's body was usually cold, but he was even more so now. He tightened his hold and sent his spiritual power into White.

"I'm fine." White massaged his temple. "This is why I said I'm not good at formation. That final backlash… heh. Thankfully, I've given you two some protection."

"Why didn't you set up one for yourself?" Ruan Yanxi frowned.

White perked up and teased, "Why? Are you worried?" 

"Yes," Ruan Yanxi said.

White blinked, his mouth slightly agape.

Ruan Yanxi looked at White's rare, surprised look. "You think I don't care about you?"

White was in a daze for several seconds before he snapped back. "… No, it's not that… I just… don't think about it much. Anyway, no need to worry about me. I'm not some weak flower that needs constant protection. I'm stronger than you so it's not strange that I look out for you. It was my negligence that there was a strong backlash."

"Be more careful next time." Ruan Yanxi pat White's head unconsciously. When he realized it, he had already done it.

Both of them look at each other in shock.

Ruan Yanxi pulled back his hand and coughed. His mother had often done that to him, and he unconsciously did the same. 

"I'll check on Wen Yi," Ruan Yanxi said and walked away.